The Care of the Self
Foucault studies Greco-Roman texts on care of the self, exercises, marriage and the conduct of pleasures. He examines forms of subject formation without presenting antiquity as a directly transferable model.
Understanding the text
The third volume, published in 1984, chiefly examines the first centuries CE. Its analyses extend and alter the questions of The Use of Pleasure.
Key points
- 01
Culture of self
Attention to oneself involves reading, exercises, advice and social relationships.
- 02
Body
Health and conduct connect individual practices to available forms of knowledge.
- 03
Historical care
These texts speak from social positions that were unequally accessible.
How to read it
Compare one practice with its social setting before turning it into a contemporary exercise.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗